Irby’s Tavern Now Open In Buckhead

Situated just steps away from where Henry Irby’s "influential" tavern was established in the mid-1800s, the "elevated sports bar" with a "decidedly hometown feel" replaces Meehan's Public House, at 322 East Paces Ferry Rd NE.

"Irby’s Tavern draws from Atlanta’s history, sports and culture to serve as a proud tribute to the city," according to a press release Thursday.

"The concept behind Irby’s Tavern is a modern tip-of-the-hat to the popular watering hole Henry Irby built nearly 200 years ago at what is now the corner of East Paces Ferry and Peachtree Road."

His tavern played a role in establishing (and naming) Buckhead, according to the release.

“Our idea was to create a place that honors Atlanta by showcasing the history, music, food—and especially sports teams—that define our city and its people,” Douglas Murphy, the restaurant's co-owner and operations manager, said.

“Atlanta doesn’t quite have a dedicated hometown sports bar. Bars all over town identify as Philly bars, Chicago bars, New Orleans bars, and so on, but we want Irby’s to be the unquestioned Atlanta bar. If the Braves are playing, you won’t need to ask us to turn the game on, because it’ll already be on.”

The tavern features a full bar with an emphasis on local breweries and distilleries.

Local chef Suzanne Vizethann (Buttermilk Kitchen, winning contestant on Food Network’s “Chopped”) developed the tavern’s menu, which is comprised of traditional American fare that is "executed in a thoughtful, fresh way with high-quality ingredients."

The bulk of management duties will fall on Mark Nelson (former director of operations at Hobnob, former executive chef at Topgolf) who has participated in opening 11 restaurants and accumulated 39 years of experience in the service industry as a chef, GM and restaurant owner.

“Our team is full of passionate Atlantans and sports fans,” Nelson says.

“There’s a void for a sports bar that pulls for our hometown. Irby’s is going to fill that void.”

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Caleb Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak (CJS) is the Founder of What Now Atlanta (WNA). He was featured in The New York Times, Creative Loafing's "20 People to Watch," named "Lifestyle Blogger You Need To Know" by Rolling Out Magazine and highlighted as Atlanta's Metropolitan Male in fashion magazine, 944. WNA has been named "Best of Atlanta" by Creative Loafing, and Atlanta and Jezebel Magazines.